While we worked and played, raised our kids and slumbered… certain “elite” individuals were planning a far different future than that which we have sought.

Here, in their own words, is the “New World Order” they have been plotting behind our backs:

“We are moving toward a new world order, the world of communism. We shall never turn off that road.”- Mikhail Gorbachev, 1987

Obama worships Satan in an Illuminati ritual.

“The way we are going to win over the long term is not just militarily. We got to win over the hearts and minds. What that means is we got to invest in countries that have no educational infrastructure have no means for young people to get ahead. We got to give them a steak in creating the WORLD ORDER that I think we all would like to see.”- Barack Obama

“The affirmative task we have now is to actually create a new world order.”- Vice President Joe Biden, April 5, 2013

“Out of these troubled times, our fifth objective — a new world order — can emerge.”- President George H. W. Bush, September 11, 1990

“We saw deterioration where there should have been positive movement toward a new world order.”- Mikhail Gorbachev, October 19, 2011

“I think that his [Obama’s] task will be to develop an overall strategy for America in this period, when really a ‘new world order’ can be created. It’s a great opportunity.”- Henry Kissinger, January 5, 2009

“God willing, a new order will come together and we’ll do away with everything that distances us.”- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

“A new world order needs to emerge, away from years of American bullying and domination.”- Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

“We will strive to ensure a new world order, one that meets current geopolitical realities, and one that develops smoothly and without unnecessary upheaval.”- Vladimir Putin

“All of us will ultimately be judged on the effort we have contributed to building a NEW WORLD ORDER.”- Robert Kennedy, former U.S. Attorney-General, 1967

“[The New World Order] cannot happen without U.S. participation, as we are the most significant single component. Yes, there will be a New World Order, and it will force the United States to change it’s perceptions.”- Henry Kissinger, World Affairs Council Press Conference, Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, April 19th 1994

“Each of us has the hope to build a New World Order.”- President Richard Nixon, Hangzhou, China, February 1972

“We are moving toward a new world order, the world of communism. We shall never turn off that road.”- Mikhail Gorbachev, 1987

“We have before us the opportunity to forge, for ourselves and for future generations, a New World Order. A world where the rule of law, not the law of the jungle, rules all nations. When we are successful–and we will be–we have a real chance at this New World Order. An order in which a credible United Nations can use its peacekeeping forces to fulfill the promise and vision of its founders.”- George H.W. Bush, March 21, 1991

“One of the least understood strategies of the world revolution now moving rapidly toward its goal is the use of mind control as a major means of obtaining the consent of the people who will be subjects of the New World Order.”- K.M. Heaton, National Educator

“Today, America would be outraged if U.N. troops entered Los Angeles to restore order. Tomorrow they will be grateful! This is especially true if they were told that there were an outside threat from beyond, whether real or promulgated, that threatened our very existence. It is then that all peoples of the world will plead to deliver them from this evil. The one thing every man fears is the unknown. When presented with this scenario, individual rights will be willingly relinquished for the guarantee of their well-being granted to them by the World Government.”- Dr. Henry Kissinger, Evians, France, 1991

“The New Deal is plainly an attempt to achieve a working socialism and avert a social collapse in America; it is extraordinarily parallel to the successive ‘policies’ and ‘Plans’ of the Russian experiment. Americans shirk the word ‘socialism’, but what else can one call it?”- H.G. Wells The New World Order 1939

“We are not going to achieve a new world order without paying for it in blood as well as in words and money.”- Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr., historian, special assistant to John F. Kennedy

“We shall have World Government, whether or not we like it. The only question is whether World Government will be achieved by consent or conquest.”- James Paul Warburg [son of Paul Warburg, the author of the Federal Reserve Act] February 7, 1950

“In short, the ‘house of world order’ will have to be built from the bottom up rather than from the top down. It will look like a great ‘booming, buzzing confusion,’ to use William James’ famous description of reality, but an end run around national sovereignty, eroding it piece by piece, will accomplish much more than the old-fashioned frontal assault.”- Richard N. Gardner, Foreign Affairs, April 1974

“Today the path of total dictatorship in the United States can be laid by strictly legal means, unseen and unheard by the Congress, the President, or the people. Outwardly we have a Constitutional government. We have operating within our government and political system, another body representing another form of government – a bureaucratic elite.”- Senator William Jenner, 1954

“We must believe that it is the darkest before the dawn of a beautiful new world. We will see it when we believe it.”- Saul Alinsky, author, Rules for Radicals [mentor of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama]

“The people will be crushed under the burden of taxes, loan after loan will be floated; after having drained the present, the State will devour the future.”- Fredric Bastiat

“The Final Act of the Uruguay Round, marking the conclusion of the most ambitious trade negotiation of our century, will give birth – in Morocco – to the World Trade Organization, the third pillar of the New World Order, along with the United Nations and the International Monetary Fund.”- Government of Morocco, advertisement, New York Times, April 1994

“Since the Gulf War, since the new World Order, America is now the number one arms dealer in the world.”- Rob Walton

“The new world order that will answer economic, military, and political problems, he said, ‘urgently requires, I believe, that the United States take the leadership among all free peoples to make the underlying concepts and aspirations of national sovereignty truly meaningful through the federal approach.”- Nelson Rockefeller, New York Times, February 1962

“The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the larger centers has owned the Government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson.”- Franklin D. Roosevelt, letter to Col. House, November 21, l933

“If the United Nations once admits that international disputes can be settled by using force, then we will have destroyed the foundation of the organization and our best hope of establishing a world order.”- Dwight D. Eisenhower

“Our job is to give people not what they want, but what we decide they ought to have.”- Richard Salant, former president, CBS News

“The United Nations,” he told an audience at Harvard University, “has not been able–nor can it be able–to shape a New World Order which events so compellingly demand.”- Nelson Rockefeller, unelected VP of the USA

“…all of us here at the policy-making level have had experience with directives…from the White House…. The substance of them is that we shall use our grant-making power so as to alter our life in the United States that we can be comfortably merged with the Soviet Union.”- H. Rowan Gaither, Jr., President – Ford Foundation (told to Norman Dodd, Congressional Reese Commission 1954)

“Our new world rests on order. The danger is disorder. And in today’s world, it can now spread like contagion.”- Tony Blair

“There will never be a new world order until women are a part of it.”- Alice Paul

“The new world economic order is not an exercise in philanthropy, but in enlightened self-interest for everyone concerned.”- Carlos Fuentes

“We know that social exclusion is closely tied to the new economic world order, globalized, with free and open markets, which isn’t bringing prosperity or social justice to all.”- Claudio Hummes

“I have long believed this interdependence defines the new world we live in.”- Tony Blair

“The powers of financial capitalism had another far-reaching aim, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole.”- Carroll Quigley, Tragedy and Hope: A History of the World in Our Time, 1966

“Countless people will hate the new world order and will die protesting against it.”- H.G. Wells, The New World Order, 1939

“The New World Order cannot happen without U.S. participation, as we are the single most significant component. Yes, there will be a New World Order, and it will force the United States to change its perceptions.”- Dr. Henry Kissinger, World Action Council, April 19, 1994

“From the days of Spartacus-Weishaupt to those of Karl Marx, to those of Trotsky, Bela Kun, Rosa Luxembourg, and Emma Goldman, this world wide conspiracy for the overthrow of civilization and for the reconstitution of society on the basis of arrested development, of envious malevolence and impossible equality, has been steadily growing. It played a definitely recognizable role in the tragedy of the French Revolution. It has been the mainspring of every subversive movement during the nineteenth century, and now at last this band of extraordinary personalities from the underworld of the great cities of Europe and America have gripped the Russian people by the hair of their heads, and have become practically the undisputed masters of that enormous empire.”- Winston Churchill, 1922

“By the end of this decade we will live under the first One World Government that has ever existed in the society of nations… a government with absolute authority to decide the basic issues of survival. One world government is inevitable.”- Karol Wojtyla (Pope John Paul II)

“Some of the biggest men in the United States, in the field of commerce and manufacture, are afraid of something. They know that there is a power somewhere so organized, so subtle, so watchful, so interlocked, so complete, so pervasive, that they had better not speak above their breath when they speak in condemnation of it.”- Woodrow Wilson

“All of us will ultimately be judged on the effort we have contributed to building a NEW WORLD ORDER.”- Robert Kennedy, presidential candidate and US Attorney General, 1967

“The peace conference has assembled. It will make the most momentous decisions in history, and upon these decisions will rest the stability of the new world order and the future peace of the world.”- M. C. Alexander, Executive Secretary of the American Association for International Conciliation, International Conciliation magazine, 1919

“Fundamental Bible-believing people do not have the right to indoctrinate their children in their religious beliefs because we, the state, are preparing them for the year 2000, when America will be part of a one-world global society and their children will not fit in.”- Nebraska State Sen. Peter Hoagland, radio interview, 1983.

“The old world order changed when this war-storm broke. The old international order passed away as suddenly, as unexpectedly, and as completely as if it had been wiped out by a gigantic flood, by a great tempest, or by a volcanic eruption. The old world order died with the setting of that day’s sun and a new world order is being born while I speak, with birth-pangs so terrible that it seems almost incredible that life could come out of such fearful suffering and such overwhelming sorrow.”- Nicholas Murray Butler, Union League of Philadelphia, Nov. 27, 1915

“What is being arranged in Washington these days is really a gigantic experiment in internationalism. We are witnessing the creation of a supranational control of the world’s necessities. The old notions of sovereignty no longer govern the facts. We have entered upon another phase of political unification, a phase greater in its methods to the formation of national states in the nineteenth century. This is the birth of the League of Nations.”- Walter Lippman American writer, journalist, political commentator; one of the fathers of propaganda; NWO Corporate Media mouthpiece, April 1917

“The term Internationalism has been popularized in recent years to cover an interlocking financial, political, and economic world force for the purpose of establishing a World Government. Today Internationalism is heralded from pulpit and platform as a ‘League of Nations’ or a ‘Federated Union’ to which the United States must surrender a definite part of its National Sovereignty. The World Government plan is being advocated under such alluring names as the ‘New International Order,’ ‘The New World Order,’ ‘World Union Now,’ ‘World Commonwealth of Nations,’ ‘World Community,’ etc. All the terms have the same objective; however, the line of approach may be religious or political according to the taste or training of the individual.”- A Memorial to be Addressed to the House of Bishops and the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies of the Protestant Episcopal Church in General Convention, October 1940

“In the first public declaration on the Jewish question since the outbreak of the war, Arthur Greenwood, member without portfolio in the British War Cabinet, assured the Jews of the United States that when victory was achieved an effort would be made to found a new world order based on the ideals of ‘justice and peace.’”- “New World Order Pledged to Jews,” New York Times, October 1940

“The statement went on to say that the spiritual teachings of religion must become the foundation for the new world order and that national sovereignty must be subordinate to the higher moral law of God.”- American Institute of Judaism, New York Times, December 1942

The “new world order that is in the making must focus on the creation of a world of democracy, peace and prosperity for all.”- Nelson Mandela, Philadelphia Inquirer, October 1994

The renewal of the nonproliferation treaty was described as important “for the welfare of the whole world and the new world order.”- Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian president, New York Times, April 1995

“I would support a Presidential candidate who pledged to take the following steps: … At the end of the war in the Persian Gulf, press for a comprehensive Middle East settlement and for a ‘new world order’ based not on Pax Americana but on peace through law with a stronger U.N. and World Court.”- George McGovern, Democratic presidential candidate, New York Times, February 1991

“The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is dedicated to one-world government, financed by a number of the largest tax exempt foundation (i.e. Rockefeller), and wielding such power and influence over our lives in the areas of finance, business, labor, military, education, and mass communication media, that it should be familiar to every American concerned with good government and with preserving and defending the US Constitution and our free-enterprise system. Yet, the nation’s right-to-know machinery, the news media; usually so aggressive in exposures to inform our people, remain silent when it comes to the CFR, its members and their activities. The CFR is the establishment. Not only does it have influence and power in key decision-making positions at the highest levels of government to apply pressure from above, but it also finances and uses individuals and groups to bring pressure from below, to justify the high level decisions for converting the US from a sovereign Republic into a servile member of a one-world dictatorship.”- Rep. John R. Rarick (D-LA)

“We can see beyond the present shadows of war in the Middle East to a new world order where the strong work together to deter and stop aggression. This was precisely Franklin Roosevelt’s and Winston Churchill’s vision for peace for the post-war period.”- Richard Gephardt, Dem. presidential candidate, Wall Street Journal, September 1990

“My country’s history, Mr. President, tells us that it is possible to fashion unity while cherishing diversity, that common action is possible despite the variety of races, interests, and beliefs we see here in this chamber. Progress and peace and justice are attainable. So we say to all peoples and governments: Let us fashion together a new world order.”- Dr. Henry Kissinger, address to UN General Assembly, October 1975

Look up “Georgia Guidestones” and prepare to be enraged!

“Some even believe we are a part of a secret cabal working against the best interests of the United States, characterizing my family and me as ‘internationalists’ and of conspiring with others around the world to build a more integrated global political and economic structure – one world, if you will. If that’s the charge, I stand guilty and I am proud of it.”- David Rockefeller, Memoirs.

“The interests behind the Bush administration, such as the CFR, the Trilateral Commission – founded by Brzezinski for David Rockefeller – and the Bilderberg Group have prepared for and are now moving to implement open world dictatorship within the next five years.”- Dr. Johannes Koeppl, Former German Ministry for Defence official and advisor to NATO

“The one aim of these financiers is world control by the creation of inextinguishable debts.”- Henry Ford

“We are at present working discreetly with all our might to wrest this mysterious force called sovereignty out of the clutches of the local nation states of the world.”- Arnold Toynbee, speech before the Institute for the Study of International Affairs in Copenhagen, June l931

“To achieve world government, it is necessary to remove from the minds of men, their individualism, loyalty to family traditions, national patriotism and religious dogmas.”- G. Brock Chisholm, co-founder of the World Federation for Mental Health, former director of UN World Health Organization

“Big Brother in the form of an increasingly powerful government and in an increasingly powerful private sector will pile the records high with reasons why privacy should give way to national security, to law and order, to efficiency of operation, to scientific advancement and the like.”- William O. Douglas U. S. Supreme Court Justice

“The real menace of our republic is this invisible government which like a giant octopus sprawls its slimy length over city, state and nation. Like the octopus of real life, it operates under cover of a self created screen….At the head of this octopus are the Rockefeller Standard Oil interests and a small group of powerful banking houses generally referred to as international bankers. The little coterie of powerful international bankers virtually run the United States government for their own selfish purposes. They practically control both political parties.”- John F. Hylan, NYC Mayor, 1922

“The governments of the present day have to deal not merely with other governments, with emperors, kings and ministers, but also with the secret societies which have everywhere their unscrupulous agents, and can at the last moment upset all the governments’ plans. “- Benjamin Disraeli, first Prime Minister of England, Coningsby, the New Generation

“The real rulers in Washington are invisible, and exercise power from behind the scenes.”- Felix Frankfurter, Supreme Court Justice, 1952

“A New World Order”- Hubert H. Humphrey, speech before University of Pennsylvania, June 1977

“A world government can intervene militarily in the internal affairs of any nation when it disapproves of their activities.”- Kofi Annan, U.N. Secretary General

“The idea was that those who direct the overall conspiracy could use the differences in those two so-called ideologies [marxism/fascism/socialism v. democracy/capitalism] to enable them [the Illuminati] to divide larger and larger portions of the human race into opposing camps so that they could be armed and then brainwashed into fighting and destroying each other.”- Myron Fagan

“The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes.”- Benjamin Disraeli, first Prime Minister of England, Coningsby, the New Generation

“What is important is to dwell upon the increasing evidence of the existence of a secret conspiracy, throughout the world, for the destruction of organized government and the letting loose of evil.”- Christian Science Monitor, editorial, June 19th, l920

“The government of the Western nations, whether monarchical or republican, had passed into the invisible hands of a plutocracy, international in power and grasp. It was, I venture to suggest, this semi occult power which….pushed the mass of the American people into the cauldron of World War I.”- MajorGeneral J.F.C. Fuller, British military historian, l941

“Fifty men have run America, and that’s a high figure.”- Joseph Kennedy, The New York Times, July 26th, l936

“The most powerful clique in these (CFR) groups have one objective in common: they want to bring about the surrender of the sovereignty and the national independence of the U.S. They want to end national boundaries and racial and ethnic loyalties supposedly to increase business and ensure world peace. What they strive for would inevitably lead to dictatorship and loss of freedoms by the people. The CFR was founded for “the purpose of promoting disarmament and submergence of U.S. sovereignty and national independence into an all-powerful one-world government.”- Harper’s, July 1958

In the midst of the Covid-19 crisis, Trump rallies have been postponed. But thanks to Michelle Terris and Diane Ventura, you can still show your support for President Trump’s re-election by waving a bright red Trump Towel from the window of your house or car. You can even wrap yourself in a beach-sized Trump Towel as you take a walk around your neighborhood. It’s all for a good cause.

According to Terris, a Pittsburgh native now living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, the Trump Towel is her way of helping out Gold Star families. “Last September, I had this vision of a sea of red Trump Towels, all waving at Trump’s rallies in a show of support,” she recalls.

Terris looked for a manufacturer to partner with and was introduced to Ventura–also a native Pittsburgher. In the next moment, the Trump Towel was born. Proceeds from the sale of the towels are donated to deserving individuals and organizations.

“It was beshert,” Terris says, using a Jewish term, which means “pre-ordained” or “meant to be”. She is also the founder of the #JEXIT Movement (Jexitusa.org), in which Liberal Jews are “educated to leave the Marxist jihadi Democrat party, whose policies are radical leftist ideologies,” according to the organization’s mission statement.

Diane Ventura and Michelle Terris

IT’S A PITTSBURGH THING

The concept of waving a brightly-colored towel was first invented by Pittsburgh sportscaster Myron Cope. Best known for being “the voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers” for 35 years, the color commentator passed away in 2008, but his legacy lives on through The Terrible Towel. Anyone who’s ever watched a Steelers football game is familiar with the black and gold kitchen-sized towels being waved by the team’s fans.

In 1996, Cope handed The Terrible Towel’s ownership documents over to Allegheny Valley School for the mentally retarded, which now receives all the royalties from the ever-popular towels. His son Danny has lived at Allegheny Valley School since 1982.

“The Terrible Towel was my inspiration,” says Terris, adding that using it as a way to raise money for Gold Star families and others is in line with Myron Cope’s act of generosity. “I think he would approve, because this is also a charitable item.”

Diane Ventura at a Turning Point USA convention with Charlie Kirk

KEEP ON TRUMPIN!

Their website, www.TheTrumpTowel.com, was launched by Ivanka Trump’s Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, (whitehouse.gov/wgdp) in September of 2019. Since then, they’ve donated $5000 to five families.

“A lot of people have bought the towels, and they love them,” says Terris, noting that they were getting very popular at rallies and have been featured in “Operation Towel Drops” throughout the country. Even President Trump has taken notice of the towels and has been photographed with one on his golf bag. “We’re hoping to get back to business soon with the rallies, but outside of the rallies, they’re still a lot of fun. The Trump Towel is multifunctional, because it can be used to shield you from the sun, as well as for flag drops and flag waving.”

The Trump Towel Team was a Participating Sponsor of the CPAC Convention in February and donated $1000 to Advocates For Illegal Alien Crime (AVIAC), honoring Angel Mom Sabine Durden with a check. The organization was created by the parents and siblings who have suffered the loss of a loved one to illegal alien crime.

The Trump Towel made its public debut at President Trump’s Sunrise, Florida rally in November 2019. “We have sinced branched out to beach towels, and now have a golf towel,” says Terris. “It’s been an exciting way to show our support through our faith, flag and freedom.”

Jill Cueni-Cohen is an international freelance journalist and the author of Like It Was Yesterday – A Journalist’s Files Since 9/11. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL, where she hosts a live daily Facebook show called the BEACH REPORT.

The coronavirus pandemic is the backdrop for the arrests of well-known CRIMINALS like Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro!

Today the U.S. Justice Department announced that Maduro and several other government officials have been charged with “turning Venezuela into a narco-state by collaborating with a leftist Colombian guerrilla group that exported tons of cocaine to the United States,” according to the Miami Herald.

Their stated goal was to “flood the United States with cocaine.“

TONS OF COCAINE!

“Recent data from the U.S. interagency Consolidated Counterdrug Database (CCDB) indicates that 210 metric tons of cocaine passed through Venezuela in 2018. By comparison, the State Department reports that over six times as much cocaine (1,400 metric tons) passed through Guatemala the same year.”

DRUG TRAFFICKING AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING HAS RUINED OUR SOCIETY

Remember the song “Cocaine” by Eric Clapton?

“If you want to hang out, you’ve gotta take her out, cocaine

If you want to get down, get down on the ground, cocaine

She don’t lie, she don’t lie, she don’t lie,

Cocaine…”

I was 12 years old when this song came out in 1977. I remember hearing my classmates singing it at gym class. I was horrified that kids my age were singing about cocaine. It turned out that cocaine was the “cool kids” drug.

DEATH RATES KEEP RISING

Data from 2018 shows that deaths involving cocaine and psychostimulants are continuing to rise. Each year, tens of thousands of people die from drug overdoses in the United States. Drug overdose deaths involving cocaine, psychostimulants with abuse potential (psychostimulants), or both substances combined increased 42.4% from 12,122 in 2015 to 17,258 in 2016.

HOLLYWOOD MADE DRUG USE LOOK AWESOME

Emilio Estevez, Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Jodie Foster, Drew Barrymore… they all did drugs, and they all got busted. But look at them today—it didn’t really hurt their careers, did it?

As a kid growing up in the 80s, you were practically expected to do drugs. Movies and television glorified drug dealers and made it look fun to snort the white stuff up your nose.

We all need to stop idolizing Hollywood actors and people who make it look like taking drugs and having sex is the true essence of living. Drugs like cocaine have destroyed our society. The opioid epidemic made the problem even worse.

This is truly a time of world “cleansing“. Let’s do away with false idols, drug abuse, pornography, and staring at the world through the lens of a television.

There are countless stories in the news about dogs being run over by the mailman, but the tragic death of one little French Bulldog has been keeping his heartbroken owner in a constant state of turmoil one year later.

Patty Weston with her two beloved dogs: Max and Sammigirl.

For Louisiana veteran Patty Weston, the story began in June of 2018. “Max became a family member when he was given to me by a friend whose cancer had returned, and he felt he couldn’t manage both,” recalled Weston. Max was an adorable little Frenchie with a charming, exuberant personality.

HEARTBROKEN

“Max was my constant at a time that was very dark for me,” said Weston, a Vietnam era veteran who has experienced homelessness. “He was the light that I so badly needed then.”

Max the French Bulldog

A few months later, Weston’s life changed. “I suddenly lost my home through unfortunate circumstances, and I had nowhere to go, due to my financial status, so I was basically homeless. A friend finally stepped up and offered me ‘the family camp house’ until I could get help. The house was old and worn, so out of concern for Max and Sammigirl, a 16 year old Emotional Support Animal, I thought it would be best if I could find foster care for them. I immediately found care for Sammigirl, but I couldn’t find anyone for Max,” said Weston.

She explained that the little dog was young, energetic, and had allergy issues, so finding him temporary care proved impossible. “Maybe it was because of his breed, but after running ads, reaching out to friends, and even calling the local vets for referrals, I had no choice but to keep him with me. I just wanted the best for him and I wanted him to be happy. I tried so hard,” she said.

Max and Sammigirl loved hiking with their mom.

A “FUR-EVER FAMILY” UNTIL TRAGEDY STRUCK

“I did all the right things for Max; obedience school, surgery to correct a birth defect, and I had him neutered. He had meds for his constant allergies and heartworm prevention, and I kept him current on his vaccines. He had his friends to play with, and he was always protected from the heat; which is important to his breed,” said Weston.

Max the Graduate

According to Weston, every day was a new adventure as she introduced Max to all the things Sammigirl enjoyed; swimming in the bayou, hiking at the nature park, cruising on the lakefront, and daily walks around the neighborhood. Weston enjoys photography so she would often take pictures and videos, documenting all of their adventures on film. In fact, the two dogs enjoyed getting selfies as much as she did, so that became a Sunday ritual.

And then, one day, the unthinkable happened.

“A friend was helping me with some things in the camp house, and mistakingly left a door open, so Max got out,” she recalled, adding, “I didn’t know. God, if only I had known.”

This is where Max was standing when he was killed by the mailman.

“I rushed him to a vet, thinking maybe they could save him, but his little chest had filled with blood,” Weston sadly recalled.

Still devastated a year after her dog’s tragic demise, Weston wants the country’s post offices to change the way such issues are handled. “On a personal, community, and management level, the post offices need to prevent these tragedies,” she stated, adding, ”When they do happen, there must be reports, documented statistics, and accountability. This information must be available to the public upon request.”

“Mr. Cox’s only statement to me at the scene afterwards was, ‘I saw the dog sitting on the road. I didn’t intentionally run over it’”, Weston recalled. “I was literally in shock, sitting there on the gravel, crying like a baby, holding Max in my lap as I waiting for my friend to return with the car. I didn’t even know who this man was, and everything from that point on is like a blur to me. Witnesses on the scene told me what he had said.

“It’s the same statement I had gotten from his wife, co-worker and Post Master. It’s as though they were reciting a phrase from a playbook. Are those words suppose to make it all better?”

Prior to adopting him, Max was a serial car-chaser, so Weston had to train him to stop that bad habit. Looking back, she now feels that Max was lonely. “He might have run after the mailman that day to make friends with him,” she said, adding that her poor little dog was killed upon impact. She said she learned after Max’s death about how the mail carrier would often speed down that particular road.

CHANGE IS CRUCIAL

Weston stated that the post office must develop a policy on these types of tragedies, which rural contractors must also comply with. There must be accountability when they do harm or kill a pet.

“Grief counseling should be offered and made possible at the expense of the agency when they are at fault” she noted. “Vehicles must be equipped with up-to-date technology, including those who hold contracts, and especially on vehicles used in rural areas. The post offices must have safety classes for every driver, including those on contract, and disciplinary action should be taken when drivers are reported for breaking the rules of the road.”

She states, “It is not enough to simply change a driver’s route after the driver harms or kills a customer’s beloved pet”.

PET LIVES MATTER

President Trump recently passed bills pertaining to the health and welfare of animals, because in today’s society, pets are recognized as family, and they deserve protection just as humans do. “My pets, my companions, are family to me and my most valued treasures,” said Weston.

She recalled the idyllic life she had with Max and Sammigirl until it was tragically cut short on March 11th, 2019.

“I miss his nite-nite kiss before going into his kennel to sleep. He was was my baby. He was Sammigirl’s baby, too.”

SEEKING ANSWERS…AND CLOSURE

“There should be regulations to guide mail carriers on proper procedure to follow when a pet is injured,” Weston pointed out. She’s been upset with the way the mailman who hit Max refuses to discuss the incident with her.

“Since he won’t tell me anything else, I can only assume that Max did not run out in front of him. I think that maybe Max ran up to the next house further down the road, to meet the mailman. He was very social and loved meeting new people.”

The thought of her sweet little dog trying to make friends with the mailman on the day he was killed breaks Weston’s heart. She explained, “I feel like I let him down, because of the acute depression I was suffering through at the time. My heart is so broken that I can’t even describe how difficult the pain is… or how I’m haunted at night. The loss of Max has deepened my depression.”

Weston said that postal workers must be more alert and cautious while driving through neighborhoods. “How does someone see a dog sitting on the road, and then drive right over it? Max showed no sign of an injury—no broken bones, and no blood. However, there were tire tracks left on his little white belly and chest…and the awful smell of rubber.”

Weston later learned that the mail carrier would sometimes speed through the rural area. “Also, his co-worker stated to me that it’s necessary that they take their eyes off the road to read the addresses on the mail. She then justified it by saying all drivers do. What if a child had been sitting on the road?

“Mr Cox could have been my hero that day. He could have gotten out of his vehicle and walked up the neighbors’ driveway with Max to ensure his safety,” Weston said, noting that the mailman had just pulled away from a delivery when Max was run over. “Is it possible that Mr. Cox pulled off too abruptly and startled Max, disabling his reaction time? Why would there be tire tracks on his body and the smell of rubber? I can only assume that Mr. Cox was in too big of a hurry to get his route done.”

In the year since he ran over poor Max, Mr. Cox has not once reached out to Weston to follow up on her letter or repeated phone calls. “It seems he has been hiding behind his wife’s shirt tail rather than speaking to me. She is his boss. How do I find closure? What are they hiding? I have so many questions still, but haven’t gotten any answers.”

SEEKINGJUSTICE FOR MAX

To this day, her grief and panic episodes are relentless. “My sleep is constantly interrupted with thoughts of Max, while tears stream down my face. That is, if I can get to sleep. I sometimes think I should get another dog, but the pain of losing Max is too overwhelming.”

Sammigirl has not been the same since her little brother died. “I know she misses him too, because she sometimes looks for him when we return to the house we had shared together. She seems to have lost interest in doing most things, and mostly sleeps now as her health declines. A year ago, she was very active, running around and playing with Max, talking long daily walks, and hiking like a young dog, even while wearing her own backpack. But now, she’s different.

Max and Sammigirl were my family, and my only support. Losing Max was the most devastating thing that I have ever experienced.”

I WAS ACCOSTED LAST NIGHTI was dancing at Aruba Beach Cafe in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea when the man in this video became very interested in my MAGA hat.

The man in this photo attempted to assault me as I was getting in a car.

I left the bar with a friend a few minutes after I had finished my live Facebook show, called the BEACH REPORT. This man apparently followed me out. As I started to get into my friend’s car, he suddenly appeared from out of nowhere and lunged at me as though he wanted to put his hand over my mouth and drag me away! I whipped my head back and screamed! The dude ran away.The police were called, and they did catch him….

MY EYESIGHT AND MEMORY FAILED ME

Live video of the man who would try to attack me just ten minutes later.

The police officer Drove me down the street to the area where they were holding the suspect. They had caught him walking down the street with his wife!

Well, his photo and his video are now out there. I urge you all to share it on social media. Perhaps if we shame this guy, he and others like him will refrain from attacking innocent people simply because we have different political opinions.

I would also like to urge everyone out there, men AND women￼, to stay very aware in public. Know your surroundings. Make sure when you leave any establishment that you are not being followed. And, most of all,￼ don’t let any of this stop you from wearing your Trump gear!￼

Women in America enjoy freedom like no one else in the world, but some pussy-hat-wearing fools claim to be “oppressed” and insist on marching against President Trump while claiming it’s a “right” to kill their unborn children.

Killing babies is currently a “choice”, approved by Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders.

Meanwhile….

In Saudi Arabia, women can’t drive, have no rights and must always be covered.In China and India, infantcide of baby girls happens frequently.In Afghanistan, women don’t have the same education rights as men.In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the rapes are brutal. If the woman doesn’t die on the street, she’ll likely be HIV infected. No one cares.In Mali, women cannot escape the torture of genital mutilation.In Pakistan, there are tribal areas where women are gang raped to pay for men’s crime.In Guatemala, the impoverished female underclass faces domestic violence, rape and the second-highest rate of HIV/AIDS after sub-Saharan Africa. An epidemic of gruesome unsolved murders has left hundreds of women dead; some of their bodies left with hate messages.Those are just a few examples of actual oppression.

Here’s the Pakistani dress code for women.

No, Woman No Cry!

So, when American women get together in America and whine that they don’t have equal rights while marching in clean clothes, after eating a hearty breakfast, and it’s like a vacation away that they have paid for to get there…THIS woman does not support it.

Who are they opposing? What’s their real agenda?

I Support Our Unalienable Right To Life!

The March for Life, on the other hand is AWESOME!

Today, Friday January 24th, marks the 47th annual March for Life. Thousands of pro-life Americans have descended upon the National Mall for a rally and a march up Constitution Avenue.

President Donald Trump will be the first sitting president to attend this march in person.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has declared a State of Emergency, claiming he’s afraid of the 2nd Amendment proponents who plan to march on the Virginia state capitol on Monday, Jan. 20th—Virginia’s annual “Lobby Day”—to protest the Democrats’ restrictive new gun laws.

From the look of the latest mainstream “media” *cough* (propaganda) reports, the tyrannical Governor is expecting another “Charlottesville” situation, since three “white supremacists” were recently accused of preparing to “target” the protest.

CHARLOTTESVILLE 2.0

As part of his State of Emergency, Northam has already banned guns around the state’s Capitol.

Many Patriots believe that Virginia’s Democratic-controlled legislature plans to prevent a large turnout for Monday’s protest. They’re also plotting to create conditions that will inevitably lead to gunshots and maybe even death.

Once the “false flag” violence happens, the Democrats will use it to justify stripping away our Constitutional rights. They will try to portray gun owners as terrorists in order to justify state-wide martial law and the confiscation of all firearms.

Democrats are apparently hoping to destabilize America with a regional civil war and widespread chaos in their continuing efforts to oust President Trump from office.

On Thursday, Governor Northam claimed that the “potential for civil unrest” warrants an executive order filled with deliberately deceptive information that lays the groundwork for framing gun owners as terrorists.

The document states that armed militias intend to storm Virginia’s Capitol with “violence, rioting, and insurrection.”

PART OF A MORE INSIDIOUS PLAN

Conservative news outlets such as Newsbusters say that CNN will blame Second Amendment supporters for violence caused by Antifa operatives disguised as Trump supporters.

NewsTarget.com published a report on Dec. 19, 2019, saying that Virginia’s new restrictive anti-gun legislation is part of a bigger plan to “deploy roadblocks at both the county and state levels to confiscate firearms from law-abiding citizens (at gunpoint, of course) as part of a deliberate effort to spark a shooting war with citizens.”

Such violence may be used to justify a United Nations occupation of America and the overthrow of President Trump and the Republic. “Such action will, of course, also result in the attempted nationwide confiscation of all firearms from private citizens, since all gun owners will be labeled ‘domestic terrorists’ if they resist,” warns the report.

THIS IS TREASON

Gov. Ralph Northam, who wholeheartedly approves of late term abortions, wants to confiscate your guns.

Calling for the DOJ to “arrest Northam and his top Democrat co-conspirators for attempting to carry out acts of treason against the United States of America,” NewsTarget observes that the Department of Justice is likely working with the corrupt “Deep State” to take down Trump and keep the Patriots unarmed while they plot the overthrow of America.

“If the DOJ won’t do its job and arrest Northam for treason, it’s probably only a matter of time before the good people of Virginia decide to put their own house in order by arresting and removing these treasonous criminals from public office. This is why Virginia’s lawless, dangerous Democrats keep changing all the rules to shore up their own power.”

NewsTarget.com

Virginia’s radical new laws are designed to destroy Second Amendment rights through sale transfer and registration bills.

Gun control is really about government’s control of law-abiding citizens!

The corrupt Virginia government has also introduced a bill to eliminate voter ID and changed the goalpost on the number of signatures needed to petition the Governor and other delegates’ removal from office.

A recent casting call for “Crisis Actors” in Virginia could be the proverbial “smoking gun”.

Ad reportedly calling for paid “crisis actors” to perform on January 20th.

According to President Trump on Twitter, “Your 2nd Amendment is under very serious attack in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia. That’s what happens when you vote for Democrats, they will take your guns away. Republicans will win Virginia in 2020. Thank you Dems!”

This treasonous Governor wants to make the Second Amendment seem radical. But it’s OUR RIGHT to keep and bear arms!

WINNING! Covington Catholic High School junior Nick Sandmann defeats fake news by hitting CNN in the wallet!‬ ‪The propaganda-spewing media outlet has agreed to settle his $275 million case against them—for an undisclosed amount. ‬

FAKE NEWS ABUSED THIS BOY

The Sandmann lawsuit against CNN was filed in March and stated: “CNN brought down the full force of its corporate power, influence, and wealth on Nicholas by falsely attacking, vilifying, and bullying him despite the fact that he was a minor child.”

Leftist kids get a pass…

😁🍾🎉🇺🇸

NEXT UP: NBC and the Washington Post. Sandmann’s lawyers have said they will also go after Gannett, which owns The Enquirer.

Mainstream news outlets claimed his smile was “smug”, but Sandmann was just trying not to cause trouble.

When a Star Employee Quits

It’s difficult to let good talent go, but experts agree that counter-offers are not usually the answer to a bombshell resignation. The experience should instead serve as a lesson for employers who value their best producers.

Author’s Note: This blog post is being published today in honor of a great businessman and father, Jack Roseman. Mr. Roseman died in hospice on Monday. He was 88.

The Roseman Family

The Pittsburgh Business Times called him a “pioneer of Pittsburgh’s tech community as an entrepreneur, investor, advisor, educator and mentor.” But to me, Jack Roseman was a friend; and kind of a father-figure.

I grew up in the Roseman household as his daughter Shari’s BFF. Today, his eldest daughter, Laura, is one of my dearest friends, despite having started out as one of my babysitters.

Our moms were also besties; along with our dads. I’m getting emotional just thinking about the reunion that’s going on in Heaven right now! Days like this make me miss my parents.

Anyway, I wrote this article several years ago for a Human Resource industry magazine. Jack was my go-to CEO!

In honor of his memory, I plan to publish a series of business articles I’ve penned over the years for various magazines, newspapers and websites.

A LETTER OF RESIGNATION

If a valuable employee – one of your best revenue producers – tells you that they’re leaving your company for better compensation, should you try to tempt them to stay with a counter-offer?

A study conducted by England-based Communicate Recruitment Solutions reveals that most employers have never made a counter-offer; and most employees would not accept one.

Jack Roseman, director of the Pittsburgh-based Roseman Institute; which provides coaching, mentoring and negotiating assistance to CEOs of growing enterprises, says that employers must seek out the underlying truth from an employee who says they’re resigning over deficient compensation.

“There are good reasons and there are real reasons; tell me the real reason,” is the proper response for an employer to give to the employee who says they’re leaving over money,” says Roseman.

“People don’t usually leave for more money. In most cases, it’s because they’re unhappy with the company, and it’s the job of the employer to find out why they’re leaving and if they have a legitimate gripe.”

—Jack Roseman

Roseman suggests that an employee who is particularly valued in a company be asked to stay and work things out with the management. “it’s not really how much you make today, it’s what happens over the continuum of time,” he explains, adding that even during those instances when a real injustice occurs, it’s still ill-advised to give an immediate raise or counter-offer.

“Instead, you say, ‘Let’s see if things can get better over time.’ A counter-offer opens the door for blackmail, but maybe you can create an atmosphere they would be happier in? Pay can always be fixed over time if the employee has faith in you and faith in the company,” says Roseman.

LOOK AT IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY

“They make employers and their companies look needy and should never be relied upon for long term success,” says Lock, adding that the best way to retain high performers for as long as possible is to ensure that their compensation, recognition and culture are as good as they can be.

“Then, when they do resign, you know you haven’t done anything wrong and it is simply the right time for them to move on; which is often a personal decision as much as a professional one,” says Lock.

Employers should resist the urge to react impulsively to a star employee’s announcement.

“When considering a counter-offer, ask yourself whether you would be offering the employee a pay rise or increase in responsibilities if they hadn’t resigned,” says Lock, adding that there is actually an opportunity in every resignation.

“Bringing someone with new ideas and different qualities on-board is an exciting prospect, particularly when you can dictate the level you want them to work at and a remuneration package you can afford. Good bosses should realize that personnel change is all part of the ebb and flow of running a business.”

James Lock

DON’T EVEN GO THERE

“Under no circumstances should an employee be tempted to stay once they have tendered their resignation,” he says, pointing out that doing so will not solve the dilemma of having to fill a vacancy and re-train a new staff member.

“Good business leaders tackle issues head-on and do not delay them until a more ‘convenient’ time.”

“Going to great lengths to retain one employee can send the wrong impression to everyone else. They will question why preferential treatment is being shown to one individual and resent their colleague being cut a special deal, especially when they had one foot out the door.”

Thomas de Freitas

The success of any business relies on the sum of its parts.

De Freitas warns, “Don’t risk the relationship with your staff for the sake of one individual.” Communicate’s study drives this point home, because it showed that most employees who do end up staying for a counter-offer will leave within six months anyway.

BE PROACTIVE

“Key employees should be under contract instead of under an at-will policy, because it defines the terms of the employment and the terms under which employment could end. This way, supervisors won’t go around making reckless decisions; they must follow a cause standard in the contract to get out of it. So, if you have a good definition of cause, the employer can protect himself.”

Phelps believes that a high rate of employee turn-over stands in the way of a company’s success. Phelps is one of the oldest independent communication agencies in Southern California.

“Our longevity is due to doing what’s right for the client and having a good, solid team that’s not always turning over,” he says. “When the CEO changes, it’s so frustrating, and it’s the same with lawyers and insurance people.

“Finding good people and keeping them is the key to keeping good clients. Do what’s right for your employees, and it will come back and help you.”

Author’s note: This article was published in a Pittsburgh magazine in 2006. Both of my parents were appalled and disturbed by my open-minded review of this groundbreaking movie. They rarely agreed on much, but they both called my article “absolute rubbish”. #triggered

Is there a scientific explanation for spirituality? Are we connected with other beings and the entire universe at large? And what the #$*! is quantum physics?

“What the Bleep!?: Down the Rabbit Hole” is the extended Director’s Cut of the original documentary movie titled, “What the BLEEP Do We Know!?”, which was released in 2004. Both films portray the journey of a depressed professional photographer (played by Academy Award-winning actress, Marlee Matlin) as she begins to comprehend that if she changes the negative way she thinks, she can actually change her life.

Interspersed with interviews from an eclectic collection of scientists, doctors and mystics, as well as extraordinary animated sequences that take the viewer into the wacky world of our own cells, What the BLEEP… is as confusing as it is inspiring.

QUANTUM PHYSICS CHANGED THE WORLD

Down the Rabbit Hole looks much like its predecessor, but it’s quite a bit longer, because it contains an additional 105 minutes of in-depth interviews, and introduces Dr. Quantum: an animated professor who provides supplementary explanations about the science of the incredibly small.

WAKE UP, AMERICA!

Putting forth the notion that “there’s more to the world than what we perceive,” Quantum physics is touted in the film as “a new way of thinking about yourself and the Universe.” And in Down the Rabbit Hole, the original storyline is condensed so that the experts may have more time to clarify the links between human consciousness, the reality of daily life and quantum mechanics.

The notion of a movie about quantum physics may be enough to send the average person scurrying over into the comedy or action section of the video store, but both films serve to awaken the mind to possibilities by teaching us about our true nature — and how it is indeed possible to affect our realities through our intentions. And if you can sit through more than two and a half hours of mind-blowing information in Down the Rabbit Hole, you may well be inspired by the additional explanations of experts, including internationally recognized pharmacologist Candace Pert, psychiatrist Jeffrey Satinover, M.D and the ancient spirit Ramtha, who is channeled by a woman named JZ Knight.

By tackling subjects such as consciousness, addictions, emotion, and biology, Down the Rabbit Hole illuminates the human experience as a potential for self-realization. And its experts contend that our brains are designed to make thought more real than anything else, but our addiction to continually accessing the same emotions or the same attitudes will take us nowhere.

HOW DO YOU PERCEIVEREALITY?

Most of us are operating at an emotionally detached place, as if today were yesterday, but change means abandoning our old selves. Have you ever thought about who you could be just by changing your perception of the world?

Ramtha makes it clear that we can be the result of our own creation. “See the day as an opportunity in time to create your own reality,” says the spirit. “The day is a fertilization of infinite tomorrows.”

Rosh Hashanah is one of the most important Jewish holidays. Literally translated, Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year.”

The New Year 5780 officially starts on September 30th, but all Jewish holidays begin at sundown on the evening before, so Rosh Hashanah actually begins tonight. The night before Rosh Hashanah is known as Kol Nidre, and then the holiday lasts until nightfall two days later, on Tuesday, October 1st. In regards to the Hebrew calendar, the New Year begins on the first day of the seventh Hebrew month; Tishri.

Day of Judgement

The beginning of each year is considered a renewal; when people have the opportunity to be better, because they know that they are being judged by God. For this reason, the first day of Rosh Hashanah is officially known as the “Day of Judgment”. This is when our creator weighs the good and bad deeds each person has done throughout the previous year. He then chooses whether or not to “inscribe us in the next year’s Book of Life.” If it sounds serious, that’s because it is serious—it’s a matter of life and death!

Days of Awe

The Jewish New Year leads into a 10-day grace period, known as the Days of Awe, during which people are encouraged to take the time to repent for their sins through “teshuvah, tefilah and tzedakah,” repentance, prayer, good deeds. During the Days of Awe, Jews ask God for forgiveness and promise to reform their evil ways, so that they will be worthy enough to be inscribed into the next year’s Book of Life. In addition, God requires every Jew to make peace with anyone they had a disagreement with in the previous year. They also have to pay off their debts and think about any mistakes made in the past year.

Thinking about mistakes leads people to ponder ways in which they can do things differently in the coming year. The goal of this entire process is to be inscribed in the Book of Life, because those who do evil and don’t repent risk having their names inscribed in the Book of Death and Misfortune.

“L’shana tova!” is how Jews greet each other during their New Year. Translated from Hebrew, it means “Have a good New Year”. Another popular greeting echoes the goal of living another year, “L’shana tova tika tevu” – may you be inscribed for a good New Year!

Cast Away Your Sins

It’s a tradition for Jews to symbolically cast off their sins into a body of running water. This is known as tashlikh, and the ceremony takes place just before sunset on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. During this time, we recall the last verses of the prophet Micah (7:19), “He will take us back in love; He will cover up our iniquities. You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”

People who aren’t Jewish are surprised to learn that the Hebrew calendar date of Rosh Hashanah is not celebrated on the first day of the year. According to the Torah, the month of Nisan is really the first month. “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. (Exodus 12:2) Nisan is the month when Passover is celebrated.

Tishri, as mentioned previously, is the seventh month. The Babylonians may have had a hand in the origins of this tradition, but the rabbis who lived during the years following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE proclaimed this particular date to be the anniversary of the momentous day when humanity was created.

Celebrate 5780!

On Rosh Hashanah, apples and honey are a blessing.

During the Rosh Hashanah meal, it’s customary to wish each other a “sweet New Year.” This typically happens as everyone dips apple slices into honey; a gesture which is seen as a blessing for “a sweet New Year”.

One way to make this tradition more fun is to do a honey tasting, especially if you have access to local honeys and a variety of versions.

Sam Kieffer is only 11 years old, but that doesn’t stop him from doing what he can to help fund research that could save his father’s life.

SAVE THE BRAINS

“When I was 7 years old, I found out the unfortunate truth; that my dad had an epidermoid brain tumor,” Sam recalls.

The precocious pre-teen took time out from selling lemonade and cookies at a community event on Sunday to do a quick, impromptu interview. With the help of some friends and his Mom, Terri, Sam is raising money for the Epidermoid Brain Tumor Society.

Sam says that he felt helpless when he first heard about his dad’s diagnosis, but then he realized that there was a way he could actually help. Together with his younger siblings; brother Jesse and sister Savannah, the Kieffer kids began raising research funds for the rare tumor through their own “Save The Brains” campaign. Masterminding the operation, Sam has hosted so many lemonade stands and bake sales that his group has raised tens of thousands of dollars to become the single largest donor to Save the Brains.

MORE BLESSINGS AND A BOOK

When he’s not securing funding for Save the Brains, Sam is getting donations for his outdoor food pantry, which he calls Sam’s Blessings Box. Located in his Pittsburgh neighborhood, the Blessings Box is a way for people in need to obtain free food and toiletries.

But that’s not all–this whiz kid has published a book of poetry, titled “Freedom Zone”, in 2018. I reported on Sam’s accomplishment for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette more than a year ago. He had just hosted his first book signing at a local library and was getting rave reviews.

“This child takes what he’s feeling on the inside and makes it a positive thing to help his dad and other people,” Sam’s 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Brianna Amoscato, told me.

Sounding like an adult, Sam credits her encouragement as the reason he published his first book.

“I thought I would be terrible at writing poetry,” he readily admits, “But then we got to share our poetry, and my teacher loved it. She said, ‘Holy cow! These are really good!’”

“For a student his age, it’s a phenomenal talent,” said Mrs. Amoscato, adding, “Sam is very creative, and his language is sophisticated.”

Watching his young son do whatever he can to raise funding to find a cure, Sam’s dad has a new outlook on his brain tumor. “He sees it as a blessing,” Terri tells me, “because our son is doing so much to try to help others who also have it.”

Fewer than 2 percent of the American population have this tumor. The Epidermoid Brain Tumor Society has been searching for a scientist to take interest in studying the rare tumor. They hope that the additional funding brought in by Sam and others like him will facilitate such research.

Listed on Amazon, “Freedom Zone” costs $10. “Half of the money I make from my book goes to the Epidermoid Society to help my dad, and the other half goes to my college fund,” says Sam. He has since found that he really enjoys creating his own comic books and intends to come out with a new book amidst his busy schedule. “Drawing is something I like to do in my free time.”

KIDS CAN ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS

“Don’t let anyone or anything stop you. Give it a try, and if it doesn’t work, always think of a different way to do it,” says Sam.

It’s sage advice from someone in sixth grade. His attitude is positive, and he prefers to focus on a good outcome to any dilemma. According to this wise young man, “You hear a lot of things on the news about bad people, but there are good people out there, you just have to know where to look. I think perspective is everything, and a bad thing isn’t always a bad thing if you take a look with a new perspective.”

Sam plans to continue his efforts to help raise money and awareness of the Epidermoid brain tumor. You can help by purchasing his book on Amazon and following his Facebook page.

I will certainly continue to follow Sam’s adventures and accomplishments.

WHAT DOES SAM THINK ABOUT 9/11?

“It’s a good book, but it’s also very deep and sad,” he told me, adding that prior to reading my book, he didn’t know very much about 9/11. “I knew that there were plane attacks and the Twin Towers were demolished, but that’s about all I could tell you. I knew that it was obviously a sad day, but I had no idea how actually tragic it was. Seeing how everyone reacted, all the phone lines down, people trying to call their loved ones…”

Sam’s mom also told me that while he’s reading the book, they have had insightful conversations about 9/11. “Your book started us talking about that day with him,” she told me. “Thank you so much for writing it.”

I wondered if Sam was affected by knowing more details about America’s reaction to 9/11. Was he worried such an event might happen today? He said he’s aware that bad things can happen, but he’s not going to live his life in fear. “I try to look for the positive in most situations,” he explains.

ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE GOOD

With a thriving charitable “business” going on in the background, Sam has clearly learned how to make a sour experience sweet.

“In the beginning, I thought I had no control and there was nothing I could do, “ he recalls.

At the tender age of seven, Sam thought about his father’s situation and realized that by raising funds for research, he could take action all by himself. “That’s when I started looking for positive outcomes. It started with a hot chocolate stand and progressed from there,” he says. He’s not yet a teenager, but his wisdom is timeless… and timely.

People should inspire their kids, Sam advises. “The sky’s the limit, and you can do what you want if you believe in your heart,” he says, noting that he realizes that he’s become a role-model for other kids his age. “It’s a really good feeling to inspire other people.”

“Sam’s presentation at SNHL was beyond words,” described librarian Mrs. Ing Kalchthaler, Youth Services Coordinator, of his June 5 book signing. “So many people of all ages came out to hear him and were inspired. Here I am 46 years old, and I feel renewed and inspired.”

IN CASE YOU DIDN’T NOTICE… While most Americans were obsessing over the ridiculous Mueller hearing and speculating on whether child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was nearly “suicided” by the Clintons last night, North Korea fired two short-range missiles early this morning.

According to news reports, South Korea’s military said that this was the first missile test since Kim Jong Un and President Donald Trump agreed to start talking about denuclearization again.

They said that the first missile traveled approximately 270 miles, while the second flew about 428 miles. Both missiles flew at a maximum altitude of approximately 30 miles.

Just after tracking the first launch, the South Korean military announced, “Our military is keeping close watch in case of additional launches.”

The missiles landed in the Sea of Japan. They reportedly were discharged from the eastern part of North Korea.

“By firing missiles, taking issue with military drills and showing a new submarine, the North is sending one clear message: there might be no working-level talks if the United States doesn’t present a more flexible stance,” said Kim Hong-kyun, a former South Korean nuclear envoy.

S. Korean military has speculated that what the North tested this morning “seems to be a new type of missile.”

But other analysts have opined that these were the same types of missiles previously tested by Pyongyang in May.

U.N. Security Council resolutions have banned Pyongyang from using ballistic technology in any kind of launch, so North Korea could face punitive measures, if this is found to be the case.

The rogue regime is required to make significant strides toward disarmament before the US will even consider removing the sanctions that have been imposed upon it.

Some experts think that North Korea may be using these launches in an effort to get the upper hand, once they restart denuclearization talks.

PERSIAN-AMERICAN AUTHOR AND ACTRESS NASRIN MOHAMMADI of Los Angeles arrived in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida last week to promote her book, “Ideas and Lashes: The Prison Diary of Akbar Mohammadi”.

LIVING THE DREAM IN SOUTH FLORIDA

She says that her week spent in South Florida was “like a dream,” because she was able to declare her full support for the POTUS without fear of bodily harm.

Nasrin at the Broward Republican Executive Committee meeting

“Coming from the political environment of Los Angeles, California has been a living hell for me,” says Nasrin, now back home on the West Coast. “I constantly hear lies about how my President Donald Trump is this horrible person. I can’t openly express my support and love for our President. I always kept hope that one day I would be able to formally and openly support President Trump in a friendly environment.”

Her wish came true the moment she stepped off the plane and began meeting Floridians who share her same political views.

Nasrin on The Justice Hour with Family Law Attorney Lisa Macci.

Nasrin’s love and admiration for today’s American President is refreshing. She grew up under Sharia law and watched her brother tortured and killed and her family torn apart, all because of their Christian faith.

This woman’s message of MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN is resonating among Americans who are tired of hearing refugees bash President Trump for his so-called “racism”.

“In Florida, people treated me with respect and wanted to hear what I had to say. Unlike in California, where people disregard me—even with my tumultuous immigrant background from a tyrannical country! The people in Florida gave me the opportunity to express what I feel needs to be said about our current situation in our country and the world. In Florida, I could openly wear and display my support for President Donald Trump, and not fear reprisal,” she explains.

“Being an Iranian woman who immigrated as a political refugee, I break the mold of the mainstream media’s narrative of the stereotype of the common Trump supporter,” she notes, adding, “The people in Florida treated me with respect, and I felt at peace.”

Meeting Scott Newmark, president and founder of Americans for Trump Inc.

“It was my pleasure to visit with Nasrin Mohammadi in my office,” said Scott Newmark, president and founder of Americans for Trump Inc, which is headquartered in Broward County. “This brave person is a Trump patriot who is also continuously fighting to free Iran from the brutal oppression of the Islamic Republic of Iran.“

FACED WITH CALIFORNIA PASSENGERS AT THE AIRPORT

The story of how Nasrin was denied boarding her flight on Monday night has gone viral. Thousands of Trump supporters are incensed about the way she was treated, but Nasrin wants everyone to take a step back from the edge of anger.

Nasrin at the airport, wearing her MAGA clothes

RESCUED BY FRIENDS

“As soon as I started to board my flight back to Los Angeles, I experienced that old discrimination again, but this time, I had people who cared about me to back me up,” she recalls.

Her manager, Ben Bennett, a local fixture in South Florida’s Republican community, had a feeling that something wasn’t right after he dropped her off in front of the airport.

He waited instead of driving away and was not surprised when he received a phone call from Nasrin, telling him that she had been denied boarding.

She then called journalist Jill Cueni-Cohen, who immediately took her in. The two had spent a lot of time together, doing interviews and getting acquainted.

“I was sorry for what Nasrin went through at the airport,” says Jill. “But I admit that I was thrilled to be able to spend more time with her. Her story is tragic… and inspiring! She makes it so clear that we are lucky to live in such a wonderful, freedom-loving country.”

She also makes it clear that Floridian Trump supporters are fortunate to be in the majority.

“I can’t wait to come back to Florida and actively campaign for President Donald Trump in 2020; Florida is the real America, unlike those brainwashed people who live in a bubble,” says Nasrin, in reference to Trump-haters.

When asked if she ever wears her MAGA hat in public in LA, she gasps, “No way! I will get attacked.”

Clad in pro-Trump apparel, Persian American author Nasrin Mohammadi had just spent a whirlwind week visiting Fort Lauderdale on her latest book tour.

Prior to leaving town, she was able to squeeze in one last event —the Broward Republican Executive Community’s monthly meeting—before heading to the airport and checking in her luggage.

Nasrin Mohammadi (and most Iranian citizens) loves President Trump!

Nasrin arrived at the gate and was ready to board her flight at 9:25pm, which was scheduled to depart at 9:33pm.

The door to the jetway was open, and two Spirit Airlines ticketing agents had just let a man go through.

Wearing her MAGA hat and shirt, Nasrin showed them her ticket, and they told her that she would have to get another ticket. They would not allow her to board.

Her luggage was on the plane, a passenger had just entered the jetway, and yet the two agents stared at her clothes with obvious disdain as they informed her, “We can’t do anything for you. You’re too late.”

Nasrin then went to customer service, who told her, “You had to have been there before 9:30.”

She told them, “I was there at 9:25!” And then they were quiet.

Nearly in tears, Nasrin called her manager, Ben Bennett, and asked him to come and get her from the airport.

She was rebooked on a flight for the next day.

“Being in Florida has been like a dream for me, I have never been treated with so much kindness!” says Nasrin. “But going to the airport in my Trump clothes was another story. Some people were staring at me, and there were others who were actually shielding their eyes! A couple of men told me, ‘Good job,’ but most people looked angry. The Spirit employees were very unfriendly. I couldn’t believe that they wouldn’t let me on the plane when I was there on time!”

HOOKED ON THE KEY WEST MARLIN TOURNAMENT

This busy entrepreneur is glowing after participating in the 2019 Key West Marlin Tournament (Jul 17 – Jul 20) with her family, including her son-in-law Alan, her son Scott, and Alan’s Dad, Rich. The trip gave them all an opportunity to be together, far away from the family biz.

“We went out fishing in Key West to enjoy the very blessed life we’ve been given,” says KellyO.

MAKING MEMORIES

For the longest time, we split our family vacations so that our ‘family owned and operated business’ was never without a family member,” says Kelly.

This summer, the group made a change. “We went out fishing in Key West to enjoy the very blessed life we’ve been given,” she says, adding that Alan caught the biggest fish of the day and was even filmed by Fox Sports.

The team caught the biggest dolphin fish

IT’S MORE THAN OK

Kelly wants everyone to know that it’s important to enjoy life in addition to working hard.

“Today I had a talk with a lovely local business lady who expressed how guilty she feels to leave her business and have fun,” she recalls. “As people who pour our minds, bodies, and souls into both diners, we feel her. But regardless of what you may be worried to leave behind, remember that the best way to enjoy this life is to actually do it. Stop sabotaging yourself and just GO!”

She’s also grateful to photographer Cary Hinze of What the Fin Apparel. “They were my gear and picture takers,” she says.

SOMEONE STILL HAS TO HOLD DOWN THE FORT

Kelly notes that the business has been in good hands while they’ve gone fishin’. “We’re missing a third of our highest-level managers and still killin’ it! We’re a team, but ultimately, they’re our work-fam and help us to achieve all of our dreams.”

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

This is despite the fact that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has $75 million in budget requests.

In the above film, Julie Morris of The Florida Conservation Group http://www.floridaconserve.org, which advocates for the protection of Florida’s ranch lands, says, “Funding our land protection programs is a time-sensitive issue. Both Florida Forever and Rural Family Lands are critical programs to protecting viable wildlife populations and clean water. We can’t keep kicking the can down the road and putting off protecting one of our most sensitive landscapes.”

Morris also emphasizes that the need for conservation easements, which will focus on maintaining ranch lands north of the Florida Everglades, is urgent.“Bottom line—if we want clean water, we have to protect the landscape. Conservation easements need funding this year!”

SPEND A LITTLE NOW TO SAVE A LOT LATER

It’s been five years since more than 75 percent of voters approved Florida Forever as Constitutional Amendment 1. Thanks to this measure, the state must annually set aside one-third of documentary stamp tax revenue over 20 years to buy, manage and improve conservation lands and water.

“Bottom line—if we want clean water, we have to protect the landscape. Conservation easements need funding this year!”—Julie Morris, The Florida Conservation Group http://www.floridaconserve.org

LAND ACQUISITION UPSTREAM IS CRUCIAL TO CLEAN WATER DOWNSTREAM

Out of his proposed $91.3 billion fiscal year 2020 budget request, Gov. Ron DeSantis has appropriated $100 million for the Florida Forever conservation land acquisition program. This amount represents the highest dedicated annual allocation since the fund has been accruing revenues during the past four years.

The Florida Senate proposed providing $45 million for Florida Forever, while the state’s House proposed $20 million for the program in their environmental budget.

Ranch landscapes are under threat of development. Ranchers who choose to keep their acreage as close to pristine wilderness as possible are hard-working people who care for the land and water. In fact, cattle operations are a low-intensity land use, because unlike neighborhoods, ranches actually store and clean water. Cattle are a low-intensity use of the land.

LEGISLATORS HAVE NEGLECTED TO ADEQUATELY FUND CONSERVATION LAND PROGRAMS

Prior to the 2008 recession, Florida Forever regularly received approximately $300 million. That amount has dwindled ever since.Lawmakers will soon decide how much funding they will allocate to these important land protection programs.Please share this article and the above video; which explains why Conservation Easements are worthy for funding at requested amounts, via email and social media. Protected Florida prairie land

RANCHERS EXPLAIN THEIR ROLE IN KEEPING FLORIDA GREEN

Rancher Brad Phares recently addressed a meeting of the Association of Florida Conservation Districts (AFCD). He spoke about Florida’s ranching history, ranchers’ contributions today in keeping our state green, challenges the ranching industry faces in coming years and the need for land preservation via conservation easements.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to help share our story,” said Phares in a Facebook post. “Y’all can have all that concrete and asphalt. I’ll stick to Florida the way she used to be.”

STEWARDS OF THE LAND

Conservation easements protect our water and wildlife in cost-effective ways, making ranchers responsible for the management of this precious land in perpetuity. That means that even when cattle prices drop, conservation easements provide an option to ranchers to conserve their lands.

Politicians need to realize that fixing problems downstream is futile without protecting what is upstream.

CALL THESE LEGISLATORS TODAY

Everyone around the world who cares about the future of Florida’s drinking water must take action! Let the following legislators know that We the People support funding Rural and Family Lands Protection Program and Florida Forever.

THERE’S A NEW BREED OF PEOPLE LIVING ON AMERICA’S STREETS

There’s a misconception about the homeless. Most people lump the homeless in with street beggars, the uneducated and disadvantaged, or even people who abuse the environment. This is not true.

Today’s homeless are people who have fallen on hard times and bad luck. They may be suffering at the hands of greedy landlords, been financially devastated by divorce, can’t find a good job, or they’re seniors who can’t afford housing. (HUD is not taking any new applicants due to the lack of housing and long waiting list).

Having dependent children increases a homeless woman’s chance of getting “something”, and minority women usually go to the head of the line. White women have become the invisible—seemingly forgotten—minority.

ONE WOMAN’S PLIGHT

Vietnam-era veteran Patty Weston has come forward to tell the story of how she suddenly lost her apartment and independence after a friend’s promise fell through—with devastating results.

“Two years ago, I moved to Louisiana to help a long-time friend who promised me housing in exchange for helping her 88-year-old mother, who had dementia.” The arrangement didn’t work out, and Weston was evicted and still has her furniture in storage two years later. “That made me homeless, as I can’t afford housing on my small SSI and VA substance.“

The situation has caused Weston to slip into a deep depression.

HOMELESSNESS ONLY HAS A DARK SIDE

“As horrible as my life has become, there’s much worse,” says Weston. “Think about the young female veterans who have gone to Iraq and been exposed to the unthinkable. Then, they return home and can’t cope anymore.

“Many have taken their lives, because they don’t know how to ask for help.”

Weston has her pride, but she knows she must expose the truth about homelessness and how it affects women.

“It’s horrible, and although there has always been homeless people, this is a serious, growing crisis right here, in one of the wealthiest, most educated nations.”

THE LAST WOMEN ON THE LIST

Weston explains that homelessness has parameters that can help or hinder a woman’s likelihood of finding long term housing—and just having a place to stay for the night can make it more difficult.

“As a veteran, your chances are slim if you have a roof over your head and running water, so if a friend chooses to even let you sleep on their sofa, your priority status has now changed and bumps you back,” Weston points out, noting that when it comes to homeless women, the system often fails them.

Do you love clean drinking water? Then please urge your local lawmaker to fund Florida’s conservation easement programs this year!

Programs such as Florida Forever and Rural and Family Lands Protection are cost-efficient ways to protect our water resources.

Ranch landscapes are under threat of development. Ranchers who choose to keep their acreage as close to pristine wilderness as possible are hard-working people who care for the land and water. In fact, cattle operations are a low-intensity land use, because unlike neighborhoods, ranches actually store and clean water.

Conservation easements protect our water and wildlife in cost-effective ways, making ranchers responsible for the management of this precious land in perpetuity. That means that even when cattle prices drop, conservation easements provide an option to ranchers to conserve their lands.

Politicians need to realize that fixing problems downstream is futile without protecting what is upstream.

According to Julie Morris of The Florida Conservation Group http://www.floridaconserve.org, which advocates for the protection of Florida’s ranchlands, “Funding our land protection programs is a time-sensitive issue. Both Florida Forever and Rural Family Lands are critical programs to protecting viable wildlife populations and clean water. We can’t keep kicking the can down the road and putting off protecting one of our most sensitive landscapes.”

She stressed that the need for conservation easements, which will focus on maintaining ranchlands north of the Florida Everglades, is urgent. “Bottom line—if we want clean water, we have to protect the landscape. Conservation easements need funding this year!”

Rural and Family Lands Protection Program and Florida Forever are critical to the health of the landscape; they both protect water quality and supply for urban areas, maintain our agricultural economy, protect Florida’s tourist economy and military base buffers. Both programs partner with other local, state and federal programs to leverage resources and maximize protection benefits. Funding these conservation easement programs is an investment in Florida’s future and is critical to our quality of life.

•We are losing natural/agricultural land at rapid pace

•Private lands protect Florida’s water and natural resources

•These programs are the most cost effective way to preserve our water resources

•We can invest a little now or a lot later to restore our watersheds

•Private lands protect drinking water supply and water quality/quantity to our urban areas

•Private lands are critical to aquifer recharge

•We can protect water resources for a fraction of the cost of outright purchase

Florida has always been a national leader in land protection, and conservation easements are a smart way to protect our natural resources before spending billions on clean-up.

Florida’s natural and agricultural landscape is rapidly disappearing, which means that we must support these taxpayers-funded programs NOW.

After 71 percent of Floridians voted for Amendment 1, it’s clear that we want our state leaders to make economic and environmentally-sound decisions to fund both of these nationally-recognized programs.

Florida’s taxpayers spend more than $10 billion to fund the Department of Transportation each year. But the protection of natural and agricultural lands, which in turn protects our drinking water, is even more necessary for Florida’s economy and healthy communities.

In contrast, $200 million towards conservation easements would protect our land and water resources forever. These programs are needed to protect our state’s water supply and quality, clean air, habitat and wildlife and maintain the agriculture that is a critical part of our state economy.

Land protection isn’t a luxury; it’s vital to cleaning Florida’s water; which is critical to the future of this great state.

I have written several articles about essential oils and their role in our health, but today I’d like to share a real-life situation, which beautifully illustrates the benefits of holistic healthcare.

I was visiting with a good friend of mine, and we were eating dinner when she suddenly noticed that the glands in her neck began swelling and causing her pain. In fact, she looked like a puffer fish! It was scary.

So, the next day, she went to the doctor, and he told her she had a food allergy and then gave her a prescription for prednisone. Now, this didn’t make sense at all, because she was eating “comfort” food when it happened, and the only thing different was an organic seasoning, which we all had and felt no ill effects. The doctor’s diagnosis just didn’t seem right.

So, I put on my “researcher” hat and went to work, looking for symptoms similar to hers on the internet. Of course, I found dozens of people complaining about the same symptoms: it was her salivary glands! She was experiencing a dry mouth, and the swelling was only happening when she was eating, not drinking.

Then, I started checking out likely essential oils which might provide relief. It turned out that lavender, which I just happened to have with me, could help. There were other suggestions, such as apple cider vinegar and even borax to dissolve what we thought might be a stone or deposits in her salivary gland. However, since we had lavender oil right there, she started rubbing the oil on her neck and drinking lots of water as often as possible.

Slowly, her symptoms subsided until she could eat and drink normally. It might have taken all of 48 hours for her to see real results. The next day, she reported to me that she was symptom-free and able to eat normally again!

This episode reminded me that most of our ailments can be cured right at home; with ingredients we may already have. And if you don’t have a bottle of lavender essential oil, I HIGHLY suggest you get some! It seriously cures everything from burns to… salivary gland deposits?!?!?

The other lesson here is the fact that many doctors have no interest in curing you. They will prescribe you a pill that you don’t even need and then just send you on your way. If her doctor had taken even five minutes to listen to her symptoms and really look at her neck, he should have been able to come to the same diagnosis that I did. Instead, he jumped to a conclusion and thoughtlessly doubled-down on it. In fact, he even told her to “eat whatever you want” after diagnosing her with a sudden food allergy! SHOCKING!

We can often correctly diagnose and cure ourselves (as well as our pets) WITHOUT the “help” of a paid professional.

Truth is, all those drugs doctors prescribe are killing us as they line the pockets of drug companies that don’t want people to know we can greatly enhance our health by doing simple things; such as drinking apple cider vinegar every morning and brushing our teeth with tea tree oil, coconut oil and baking soda.

Did you know that pineapple juice is a better cure for a cough than any cough syrup? Try that the next time you’re hacking away, instead of running to the doctor for a prescription or heading to the drug store for an over-the-counter remedy.

Only YOU really know how you’re feeling. So, if something doesn’t seem quite right, it’s really up to you to figure out what’s wrong.

Rep Ilhan Omar appears to be a radicalized Muslim, now playing for TEAM ISIS in the U.S Government. A former refugee, Omar shows no sign of having assimilated into American Society. Quite the opposite: she seems to be much more interested in fueling anti-Semitism and overthrowing the American Government by impeaching President Trump.

For some reason, the executives at Fox News do not see Omar as a threat.

Instead, they have identified American Hero Judge Jeanine Pirro as the enemy.

A brave Conservative political commentator, Judge Jeanine is one of the very few television personalities who regularly speaks the truth. Now, Fox News is attempting to silence Pirro by taking her off the air. They’ve also pandered to TEAM ISIS by apologizing and explaining that their particular news outlet does NOT agree with Pirro, and they don’t support her comments.

You know what that means, right?

Those few remaining Holocaust survivors must be horrified. I know I am. #JEXODUS before it’s too late! The Democrat party is falling off that slippery slope….

Watch her last show on Fox News by clicking on the link below. THEN SHARE HER COMMENTS EVERYWHERE!

I was adopted as a baby and raised to be Jewish and vote Democrat, but as I was exposed to the liberal ideology and the notion that socialism is necessary, I flipped and saw things very differently.

I also did not appreciate the Dem’s support of abortion as a “right”.

Moving to Switzerland in 1990 and living in a socialist-run country for ten years further strengthened my conservative, Republican beliefs until I became the antithesis of everything a female Jewish journalist should supposedly be.

Most recently, my support for President Trump has lost me several friends and earned the admonition of a few family members. Some of them even called me “fascist” and “Hitler” because I support Trump’s nationalist agenda. (Message me privately if you think that means anything other than MAGA.)

I love this country. And I hate the way liberal Democrats have been trying to turn it into a third-world hell hole (just look at San Francisco, Portland, OR and Los Angeles).

Now, there’s a new breed of politicians taking over the Democrat party and showing extreme hatred for Jews and Israel; in addition to presenting a blatantly socialist agenda.

So, many Jews are leaving the Democrat party. Black people are doing the same.

Today, we Americans are witnessing the Democrats’ defense of illegal immigration and apparent acceptance of anti-semitism.

I love my friends and family; even though they hate our President and are angry with my support of him.

That said, I’m hopeful #Jexit will reunite those of us who have seemingly turned on each other.

Evil cigarettes will never rule my life again! No longer will I chug down the street, puffing great, white billows of foul-smelling smoke behind me. Inhaling slow death, just inviting my worst fears to become reality. It felt bad to be so wrong. Defining myself by a losing label: Stinky Smoker.

My life was a smoke-opera, trapped in the membership of addiction and denial; pretending that it’s okay to pollute the world with our smoke, our stink, our garbage—and actually paying big bucks for the privilege to eventually block our airways with chemicals specifically designed to kill us slowly—all with our permission.

When compared to the noxious, evil, putrid, long-term cage of death, I hope it’s not too late for me and my loved ones. I was blinded by that smoky bliss for so long, restricted from certain people and places, but I didn’t care where I was, as long as I could smoke. I used it as a wall to shield those I loved best from getting too close to me and my smoky atmosphere. How neglectful and selfish was I to invite the killer into my home to live amongst my family?

Cigarettes sucked in my hard-earned money and pretended to help me with my work — promising me the illusion of inspiration that was really just procrastination; promising relaxation in exchange for the stress smoke was causing in my life; offering social relations with like-minded addicts; delivering pleasure in the midst of learning to hate myself for my dirty habit. Breathe in that smooth, smoky taste and lose your appetite for that which is healthy and wholesome.

Quit Day #65

I am definitely losing my mind over this, and it makes me think that getting off the drug is like going ON a drug — and a powerful one at that. I feel as if my whole life is gradually turning upside-down, and all sorts of strange things are falling out of pockets I never knew I had!!!

It’s scary, exhilarating, and sickening all at the same time. But the most important thing has been the lesson I’ve learned about the addiction I’ve been suffering from since before my birth. It’s sooooo bad, it feels like a horrible crime. I hear about all the smoking related illnesses, and I wonder how anyone can continue to let this horror rage on—this senseless, reeking death sold in neat little boxes of 20 cigarettes.

I’m appalled that I was ever a smoker, and I still can’t understand why it took the pleadings of my ten-year-old son to wake me up.

I know I have to stop beating myself up over my FORMER addiction and begin living in such a way that this crime cannot be perpetuated through another generation. It’s bad enough that we’re killing our kids with too much junk food — at least we could clean up the air for them, right?

I feel the strongest need to get the message across to those of us who are still locked within the grips of this deadly menace. I used to be a walking smoke-stack, and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to the people who’s lives I’ve polluted.

Quit Day #74

$550.38 and 19 days, 19 hours of your life saved!

Time Smoke-Free: 78 days, 2 hours, 39 seconds

Cigarettes NOT smoked: 2733

Lifetime Saved: 20 days, 21 hours

Money Saved: $580.12

What is saved and what is spent?

Ever day of life that goes by becomes a memory. There are no guarantees that any time or any money will be saved; but at least it will go somewhere else, and not to the tobacco industry. Besides, nobody knows how long they will live. Or how quickly they will die. Or how much money they are actually saving.

What would I do with 20 extra days anyway? Go on a luxurious vacation? Pig out on sweets? Smoke cigarettes and get wasted? That wasn’t even fun; it was a habit, it was madness. Yet it’s still the first thing that comes to mind.

No, I think my last 20 days should be spent surrounded by people I love; doing something productive for those who don’t have to cut their time on this earth short. I would spend those last hours speaking to every child I could find; telling them not to squander time or take the days for granted. Because even when those days are bad, they are better than the alternative.

Maybe.

Well, the jury’s still out on that one. But as long as I’m alive and able to create and experience and love, then I pledge to live each day to its fullest potential. I will feel each emotion deeply and try not to fear the (real and imagined) implications. I will trust that God really does have a plan for me, knowing that it’s my job to carry it out without worrying about what’s going to happen next. And I promise to hold out my hand to the next person who needs help in getting through all of these, our last days on earth. Don’t save them—spend them wisely!

Quit Day #105

No sugar tonight in my coffee, no sugar tonight in my tea

So, today is the fifth day of my sugar-abstinence plan. I have not intentionally eaten sugar or candy since Monday, and I am feeling so much better. Halloween really did a number on me this year. It’s like the Quit has turned me into this big sugar junkie; which I think may be even worse than smoking!

My teeth were hurting from all the Reese’s Cups and candy corn; the inside of my mouth was raw and blistery—which can’t be good. Besides that, I had gained 8 pounds! That’s 8 pounds, even though I run 6 to 10 miles a day and have been doing workouts at Curves. I was really starting to scare myself there. I tend to get a little obsessed when it comes to sweets.

So, I’ve relegated sugar to the same status as smokes. Can’t do ‘em. No smokes; no sugar. The sugar program has been especially challenging, because it’s constantly around me. And now my husband has begun making fudge as a business venture! It’s like the walls of my home are dripping with chocolate lately. Everywhere I turn, I see little bags of colorful candy Runts—those Runts are insidious! And I’m not going to eat them. Not even one. Because one will lead to two, and two will lead to twenty, and then it’s on to Snickers bars and M&M’s (hopefully peanut). No…. So, I don’t need nicotine, and I don’t need sugar, and I already stopped drinking alcohol.

Hmmmmmm, what do I eliminate next….. better yet, WHAT DO I ADD?

Quit Day #116

No Good Time to Smoke

If you wait for the “perfect” time to quit smoking, it will never come. NEVER. So, you have to look at it in another way: the perfect time to quit is NOW.

I had months to psych myself up for my quit, which was set for my son’s 10th birthday. When the big day came, however, I was apprehensive and full of reasons why I couldn’t do it YET. But looking into his big, brown eyes—so full of trust and hope—how could I NOT follow through on my promise?

That was 116 days ago, and I haven’t looked back. I don’t ever want to smoke again. Now the motto is:

There is NO good time to smoke!

Smoking will not alleviate my stress or make me feel better about anything. In fact, it will only make matters worse.

Like anything you’ve been doing for a long time, the habit is hard to break. But not only is it possible, it will FREE you in ways you never imagined.

There are increasing legal protections put in place for the life and well-being of animals, including endangered species… as well as dogs and cats.

The federal Born-Alive Infants Protection Act of 2002 says that when a child is born alive, including having a beating heart, he or she is a legal person and has a right to lifesaving medical care.

Unfortunately, several states have removed this protection for the most vulnerable, innocent Americans among us.

I love animals, but my respect for humanity far surpasses that love. The thought of killing babies at any point in development is abhorrent to me—an adopted child who started my life in an unplanned pregnancy—but to kill a child who just survived an abortion is unthinkable!

I’ve been told by friends and family that I will be unable to change the hearts and minds of those who see abortion as an acceptable choice—even a right—because there is value only in living people.

These people claim that the costs and hardships of bringing certain people into the world outweighs any good that might come from their existence.

They prefer to choose certain death after the choice has been made to have sex. They choose a violent end in the womb for their own child instead of accepting the challenge this new life would present.

I know so many people who were almost aborted, and not one of them is sad that their mom chose life instead. In fact, such people are often more cherished when it becomes apparent that they might have been killed for no damn good reason.

60 million Americans are missing from today’s society.

But some people would rather focus on saving turtles and protecting puppies.

Where is compassion for the baby humans? I believe that there is enough love in this world for EVERYONE. Every individual life matters.

There’s a dumpster in the alley behind the building where her life was sucked away. Cold, green, hulking slabs of metal; MEDICAL WASTE stenciled on its side in big, white letters.

She was warm and cozy before her world was ripped out beneath her. Her tiny, developing Earth-suit dissolved into bloody remains. Her life was seen as an inconvenience, a mistake, a reason to commit murder.

So small, so young, yet she was a miniature, perfect specimen of a human being; she could have been so great, and she was so capable of bringing joy into the lives of anyone fortunate enough to raise her, but she was so easy to kill.

Not much larger than a peanut, she nevertheless gave them a good fight. Settled in the midst of a healthy pregnancy, she struggled against the sharp equipment as it ripped at her tiny arms and legs.

She would have had her mother’s blonde hair and gray-blue eyes. The siblings to come after her would all be beautiful, talented girls, but she would have been the best one. If only her mother hadn’t been so afraid — afraid of how this precious little creature would have changed her own young life.

Barren once again, her mother waited back in the alley by the dumpster for her ride to come, so no one would see her. The young woman stared blankly at the words: MEDICAL WASTE.

It was a sunny September day, but the shadows from the buildings made it dark in that alley. The former mother-to-be suddenly imagined that she heard crying – baby-crying – it was a sound of mournful misery that seemed to waft upwards from within the dumpster. And then her thoughts turned to what was in that dumpster, and she heaved a horrific sigh, felt the blood gush out of her womb in a burst of sudden recognition.

Her child’s life flashed before her eyes; a life that would never happen so she could go back to being a 19-year-old and finish college and find a husband and start a family. But her first baby would have to wait… in the dumpster until the big garbage truck came.

The garbage man would pull out shiny, white garbage bags containing others, just like her. Their Earth-suits have been smashed into bits of blood and minuscule, flexible bones. Legs and arms that would never learn to jump and hug have been left to rot in a white plastic bag, MEDICAL WASTE stenciled on its side, bound for the city dump, soon to be stashed away in a landfill.

Tiny eyes that would never see; the remains of one who would never be. The lifeless fetus would become a bad memory for the few who knew about her brief existence. But, most of all, she would haunt her mother into holding her future sisters tight. It was the worst decision the young woman ever made, but it was her decision to make. Just as it was her decision to have sex without a condom. She thought that abortion would be for the best – women did it all the time –and she considered herself lucky to be able to make this choice by herself. And then she saw the dumpster. Rationalizations stripped away, she cried for hours on her baby’s due date, knowing that two wrongs never make a right — even if the government says it’s okay to kill your baby, as long as you do it quickly. But the pain will last forever, and it will affect you and your family; whether you know it or not.